24/07/2017 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today, I'm Laura Trevelyan.

Jared Kushner denies any coordination with Russia

That was the message to US lawmakers - and when he got back

to the White House he underlined it, for all to hear.

I did not collude with Russia nor do I know of anyone else in the

campaign who did so. The parents of terminally ill baby

Charlie Gard give up their legal fight to get him new treatment

in the US. And this ice sheet could

be disappearing even We're in one of the world's

most remote regions, British scientists have come here to

Greenland to try and work out how rapidly the Acer is going to melt

and what that means firstly levels around the world. -- for sea levels

around the world. He's not only President Trump's son

in law, but one of his And today Jared Kushner

was on Capitol Hill - speaking to investigators

on the Senate Intelligence committee, who're looking

at Russian interference The meeting was behind closed doors,

but when he got back to the White House, Mr Kushner

made this statement. Since the first questions were

raised in March, I have been a consistent in saying that I was

eager to share any information I have. With the investigating bodies

and I have done so today. The wreck of the documents I have voluntarily

provided will show that all of my actions were proper and occurred in

the normal course of events of a very unique campaign. Let me be very

clear. I did not collude with Russia nor do I know of anyone else in the

campaign who did so. I had no improper contacts, I have not relied

on a Russian funds for my businesses. And I have been fully

transparent and providing all requested information.

And joining me now from Capitol Hill is the BBC's Laura Bicker.

Very emphatically, I did not collude with Russia during the campaign.

How's that going down on Capitol Hill? He has been very adamant and

jihadist agent issued to us before he gave evidence to the Senate and

in it he detailed those meetings that he had with the Russians. The

key one of the Democrats and Republicans working keen to hear

about was the meeting he had with a Russian lawyer. That meeting that

was arranged by Donald Trump junior. It was a meeting where they were

promised incriminating information about Hillary Clinton and here is

the crucial part, when they were e-mailed about this meeting they

were told that there are robbing giving this information because it

was part of Russia and its Government support for Donald Trump.

One of the questions that senators opposed to have put two Jared

Kushner is why take that meeting. He said he didn't take the e-mail

properly, he arrived late and when he got there it was clear that it

was a waste of his time and fact he couldn't wait to leave. But there

are still questions with regard to cry and the only getting the

information about this now considering we have known about this

meeting for the last couple of weeks. And then he set about the

revelations made in March, when it was discovered and revealed that he

had met with a Russian banker and the Russian ambassador during the

transition phase before Donald Trump took office. He said he was making

contact because he wanted to have some contact with Russia before,

took office. When it comes to that, he said he doesn't ask for those

meetings, they were organised by the Russians themselves. Again in the

issues were raised with regards to why not put that on your right has

clearance form, and when it comes to reform itself and sincere is

blooming his assistant for putting it through to LA for not mentioning

those meetings so there is a lot to clean up. Democrats are making much

of the fact that this meeting was not under oath and they were saying

it was not in public and they are saying there are still many more

questions are to be absent. Thank you.

And joining me now is legal scholar Jonathan Turley who teaches

I know you been studying the written statement by Jared Kushner, what do

you make of the very carefully phrased town of what he has to say?

He is not working with much. Either is not a good narrative here. He

said he went to the meeting and then decided there was nothing here. But

the meeting was set to collude with the Russians. This says that a lot

like I went to collude and they didn't collude with us. That is not

a good narrative. It is also not a crime. But there are not many good

options for Jared Kushner here. The best you can see was he that he was

a bit clueless but he was trying to collude. The record contradicts that

to a point. In order for him to make this work he has to say that he went

to this meeting with virtually no idea why he was going to the

meeting. He says in that statement that he even e-mailed an assistant

and asked him to get out of it because it was so boring. But he

also says he didn't collude with Russia nor does he know of anyone

else in the campaign. Again he is really covering himself. It has that

build Bill Clinton type of thing, I didn't collude with this country

moment. The problem with the collusion argument is that the

e-mail itself as an invitation to collude. Saying the Russians have

stuck on Hillary Clinton. Right. And Donald Trump trump Junior said I

love it. That is a bad narrative, but it is not necessarily a crime.

What he has to worry about from this point on I see is going into very

precarious waters. He has to keep a consistent and coherent narrative,

something the company 's vision hasn't been good at. Is that very

high risk for him, the fact he has given this written statement and

televised statement saying he didn't collude with Russia? He is

committed. God help if there's anything that contradicts the

statement at this point. Even though he is not under oath, lying to

Congress a crime. I think Jared Kushner is trying to minimise his

role in all this is put a lot more pressure on Donald Trump junior. Not

to mention the president himself who is clearly feeling the pressure.

What do you make of his tweets? He is rinsing his complete power to

pardon. No one has been prosecuted by what he is even thinking about

the possibility. It is fairly complete it is not absolute. The pit

one limitation on a President's pardon power which was he couldn't

use it to someone out of an impeachment but it is true that the

supreme court has treated this as an unfettered power. You can use it

before or during someone has been charged during a trial after the

conviction. You can use it at any time. So the president could

technically even before the special Council has found anything, he could

pardon in advance is associate and his family and even himself

questioned what he can do an anticipatory pardon and it has been

done. That is what Richard Nixon got. Richard Nixon was pardoned by

Gerald Ford without any charge against them. The question of

whether a president and pardon himself as one of the long-standing

questions of Cosic additional law and it has divided most of us. The

answer is not clear. Because attrition itself, the text which

supports the president has underlying policies that would

contradict. Thank you. It's a heartbreaking case which has

made headlines around the world - but now the parents

of the terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard have ended their legal

battle to bring him here to the US In an emotional statement,

Charlie's father said they're going to spend their last precious

moments with their son. Earlier, their lawyer told the Court

in London that "time had run out" for the baby,

after an American doctor who examined Charlie said he was no

longer willing to offer the therapy. Here's our Medical

Correspondent Fergus Walsh. The fight over Charlie Gard's future

is over. This desperately sick little boy will no be allowed to

die. After a hugely emotional hearing where his parents said they

had agreed to let the sun go they urged to face the world's media. Our

son is an absolute warrior and we can not be prouder of him and we

will miss him terribly. His body, heart and soul may soon be gone but

his spirit will live on for eternity and he will make a difference to

Eagle's lives for years to come. We are now going to spend our last

precious months with our son Charlie who unfortunately would make his

first birthday in just under two weeks' time. Charlie has been an

Great Ormond Street Hospital since October. He has a serious inherited

condition, mitochondrial depletion syndrome. You cannot move feed or

breathe unaided. The central question in this case was whether

this powder therapy which is added to food could boost his muscle

function. His parents raised ?1.3 million for the treatment and the

United States, that money will now go to a foundation and Charlie's

name. But Great Ormond Street Hospital backed by many independent

experts said the treatment was retail because Charlie has suffered

catastrophic and irreversible brain damage. Because Charlie's parents

and doctors could not agree the matter went to the High Court. In

April the judge ruled that Charlie's suffering should end. His life

support be withdrawn. Every legal appeal brought by Charlie's parents

failed. Then came interventions from the book and Donald Trump. The

latter treating an offer of help. This has been an extraordinary case,

a battle over the fate of a baby boy which was what not just in court but

internationally. The judge said it was one of the pitfalls of social

media that the watching world filtered right to have opinions

without knowing the facts of the case. He said the court's paramount

consideration and been Charlie's best interests at all times. The

case came back to court when an American neurologist claimed new

evidence showed his nuclear state therapy could help Charlie. Last

week he flew over to examine. New MRI body scans were ordered. On

Friday Charlie's parents accepted these showed his muscle wasting was

now so severe she was beyond help. It is an incredibly brave decision

by Charlie's parents will stop they have fought through for themselves

what the new evidence shows and they have reached a conclusion probably

the judge would have reached the scene, very brave of them to do it

before or without waiting for 40 has to say. . Connie Yates said he would

be appointed for the rest of their lives with what if their son had

received the treatment months earlier. She said he had the

potential to be a normal boy but it was now too late. To Charlie, we say

mummy and daddy love you so much. We always have and we always well and

we are so sorry that we couldn't save you. We parents are now with

Charlie and his final hours. Great Ormond Street Hospital said the

agony and desolation and bravery of their decision humbled all the

water. Day all who worked there. In the weeks since Iraqi

forces recaptured Mosul from so-called Islamic State,

a grim picture has emerged of life Much of the city has

been reduced to rubble, and the civilian population says

atrocities were carried The BBC's Yalda Hakim reports

from HAMAM AL ALIL about thirty kilometres to the south

of the centre of Mosul. It was the scene of a massacre

of civilians at the hands of Islamic State as Iraqi forces

were fighting to liberate it. For three years this

was the so-called Islamic Now it is the broken

heart of the caliphate. The Isis reign of terror

is now over but this After constant bombardment

and shelling, an eerie silence Hundreds of thousands

have been displaced, their lives like the city

lies in ruins. This woman has returned

to her neighbourhood with her two children for the first time

in a month. They had attempted to get away

during the battle but were captured She says she may now be liberated

but it means nothing Life, she says, has become

even more difficult. The people of Mosul are still paying

the price for their freedom. Everyday people queue up,

the injured, the sick, The battle is officially over

but it is not safe in Mosul. Isis rigged houses and buildings

with booby traps, returning home now All over the city there

are unexploded devices. And it is now up to the Iraqi

military to clean it up. TRANSLATION: There was

a car bomb over there. So we are moving forward

because there are more All over this city now Iraqi forces

are working day and night to clear the areas of unexploded devices

and booby traps so that families can This particular unit has been

working for the last two days The task of rebuilding

the city is monumental. But reconstruction will be easy

compared to building trust. Real reconciliation

will be a battle. Thousands of fighters

for the caliphate had been killed. But the ideology

hasn't died with them. Who is to blame for

the devastation of Mosul? This man says his Sunni tribe

didn't support Isis. But when the Iraqi militaries fled

the city they had no choice. TRANSLATION: The Iraqi military

controlled all of Mosul. He now has a stark warning

for Baghdad and the world. I blame what happened

to our city on politics. The politicians need

to strike a deal. If they don't come up

with an agreement we Laughter is once again

allowed in Mosul. As children leap to take advantage

of their new freedom. Many have known nothing

but life under Isis. The Iraq they will inherit has

arguably never been more divided. This generation will be tested again

and again as old scars in this Let's take a look at some of

the other stories making the news... At least 35 people have

died - and 50 injured - An Afghan Government spokesman,

said the car bomb exploded, near a bus carrying

Ministry employees. The Taliban say they

carried out the attack. And across the border,

the Pakistani Taliban say they were behind an attack,

in which at least twenty-six people died and around fifty were injured

in the city of Lahore. A car bomb exploded

at the side of a busy road. A manhunt in underway

in Switzerland, where five people have been injured by a man

with a chainsaw, in Police have identified the man,

warning the public that he's highly dangerous,

but not related to terrorism. The Sri Lankan navy were on hand to

help these two elephants and put them back to shallow waters.

A case of ruthless human trafficking - that's how police are describing

the horrific scene they discovered on Saturday night outside

Eight people were found dead, and two died later in hospital,

after being crammed into a trailer with no air conditioning.

It's a shocking example of the risks undocumented immigrants

Just 65 miles north of the Mexican border, Brooks County, Texas,

is bearing the brunt of this crisis - we've gone to see the impact.

I will always refer to these things as senseless death.

Over the last two or three weeks, we are having more

They were unfortunate enough to perish in their journey

I'm guessing about almost half a mile or so from here.

We already have 30 for the year and we have

What they do, they circumvent the checkpoints.

Because they don't have the documentation they need.

It is not a pleasant walk, it is a harsh walk.

If they're not bringing any provisions, no water or

anything, if they get lost they are screwed.

Pretty much before they were just getting buried.

Without any type of analysis being done.

This is where we store all of the remains.

Each and every one of these boxes contains the remains of a

Brooks is a small county, population less than 8000.

They don't have the funds and the manpower to do with that

many sets of remains, have them properly

autopsied, transported to a medical examiner's office for the autopsy.

The definition typically given for a mass disaster

is that there are so many deaths that overwhelms the local

authority's ability to properly handle that disaster.

And that is absolutely the case in south Texas.

This happened after death and is related to animals just scavenging.

Everyone is an individual, everyone had an identity in life and they

deserve to have that identity in death.

We have definitely taken corrective measures to handle that.

So now we're not even burying people here in the county.

The Greenland ice sheet may be melting faster than expected,

raising ocean levels more than predicted.

That's the concern of scientists who say warmer conditions

are encouraging algae to grow in the ice and darken its surface.

That matters, because darker ice absorbs more of the sun's rays

And what happens in Greenland could affect millions of people

Our Science Editor David Shukman has this exclusive report.

A vivid blue snakes across the Greenland ice sheet.

A beautiful sight but when the ice here melts, the oceans

On the horizon, the ice sheet looms ahead of us.

We've joined a team of British scientists.

They are trying to understand how the ice is changing.

People are very worried about the possibility that the ice

sheet might be melting faster and faster in the future.

We touch down in one of the remotest corners of the planet.

A home in an utterly barren wilderness.

Once it's there, we will leave it to you to take the measurements.

Painstaking research to measure how quickly it might vanish.

From the air, all you can really see is what looks like a vast

expanse of endless white, but that isn't the whole story,

because what's hard to grasp as I stand here is that this is just

the surface of a vast mass of ice that's unbelievably thick,

so let's imagine cutting it away right in front of me.

The ice sheet stretches for as much as two miles,

three kilometres from the surface here right down to the rock below.

In fact, it is so thick you could take the world's tallest building,

the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and fit four of them end to end inside.

And because there's such a volume of ice here,

there is the potential if much more of it melts for real damage

And everywhere we look there is a growing threat.

And the darker a surface, the more it absorbs the sun's rays,

and, like wearing a black T-shirt on a hot day, the more it warms up.

Martyn Tranter, the chief scientist here, shows me

Algae have always been here but with more meltwater,

and higher temperatures, conditions are ripe

The algae are microscopically small but they might be

What we want to know is how the algae can spread over

the Greenland ice sheet as the climate warms.

And it might well be that they will cause more

melting and an acceleration of sea level rise.

To investigate that, drones are used to scan the dark

areas of the ice sheet, so the scientists can work out

how rising temperatures could encourage the algae and lead

In the evening light, the shimmer of gentle streams,

Until recently, the amount of ice melting in summer was balanced

But, in the last 20 years, the flows of water have multiplied.

Each one eventually adding to the level of the oceans.

No one is saying that this whole thing is going to melt in the next

decade or even in the next 100 or even the next 1,000 years,

but it doesn't all have to melt for more people to be in danger.

Only a small amount, a very small portion of this ice

sheet has to melt to raise the sea levels and then threaten millions

of people in coastal communities around the world.

What's striking is that this massive block of ice is vulnerable

to a vicious cycle of warmer conditions, more algae,

Down at the edge of the ice sheet, the tiny streams become a torrent.

The research is are trying to improve the forecast for how this

meltwater will raise the level of the sea.

And for people in low-lying areas of Florida, Bangladesh

and parts of Britain, getting those predictions

David Shukman, BBC News in Greenland.

Don't forget you can get in touch with me and some

of the team on Twitter - I'm @LauraTrevelyan.

Thank you for watching and we hope to see you back here tomorrow.

It has been a stunning day across western parts of the UK.

Temperatures have been soaring